I Want To Cheat - 10 Days Post Gastric Sleeve Surgery

[Capt Derel 287]

After post op can one not do an ECA stack or is caffene and aspirin a no no for a couple of weeks? An ECA stack would definitely get your mind off of eating. Imma have to ask my doc

(null)

[reallyrosy 161]

No caffeine and no nsaids of which aspirin is one.

[Lissa 2,631]

ItalianLady, I'm sorry if I missed where you were attacked. I read the thread re: plication and thought everyone was well spoken and mostly polite, but maybe I missed it.

Rosy,

I hope you feel better quickly and that your doc moves you to full liquids at least!!

Lissa

[reallyrosy 161]

Hi all...

I heard from the nurse: they are going to fax me the new diet for tues next week. I still don't know what it is but I hope low sod veg juice is on it as that is something I crave.

I went to work out at the gym this a.m. and a brief side trip to the drug store. Visiting nurse was very encouraging and all my vitals are good.

So I venture into the weekend a bit less timidly.

Will probably update my blog, too. Only thing is, I have to do that on the big puter...can't from the phone.

Thanks to all for the staunch and tangible support. It worked. I'm down another lb, too.

Good luck to all of us

Rosy

[Felicia 28]

Rosy,

I also replied to a topic you posted and well you were feeling down and plain pissed with that one too. I am feeling your pain believe me, I hated my clear liquid phase, it was awful. I'm glad to see you are a little more optimistic about everything. I am sorry you regret your decision too, I am hoping sometime soon you won't feel that way. Let's be honest you might feel that way forever who knows right?

This whole getting sleeved thing was a emotional rollercoaster for me as well. There are numerous times in the day when I regret my decision. Many people say they don't regret this because they are further out and people tend to forget the bad stuff when things are seemingly brighter. I hated my life when I first got this surgery, and last night when my BF was shoveling food into his mouth and I am sitting there like WTH I hated this sleeve then too.

We all go through bad times especially with huge life changes like this one. My surgeon started me on an anti depressant a month before surgery to level me out before and for mostly after surgery. I find that with many of your posts you are up and down and you very well deserve to be, your life sucks right now. But maybe an anti-depressant could help you.? Many people take them, if your not taking one already.

Do you have an oppurtunity to attend any support group meetings about this near you? My surgeons office has them quite frequently and many people say it helps. Just a thought.

I really hope you start to feel better about this, considering there is no going back at this point and considering the way your feeling, there is no where to go but up. I have cheated a couple of times on my diet. I want to tell you hun it wasn't worth it. I felt like complete crap not only physically in my belly but emotionally as well. Not only that but now I worry that I may of hurt my sleeve. It wasn't worth it and I am sorry I did it.

I want to say again I am sorry your feeling this way but I am here if you want to PM me and just vent. We all need that sometimes. Good Luck. Keep us updated.

[Escape_Pod 358]

Hang in there Rosy!

Yes, some surgeons are a lot stricter than others, and sometimes it stinks to be one of their patients. But I looked at it this way (in between grouching when I was at your stage - ha ha!)... my stomach was just cut and sewn. It's angry, and healing. Anything that bears a resemblance to food means it has to work to digest it, work it's just not up to at the moment. Also, many people don't tolerate thicker liquids or mushies well, leading to vomiting, which is really hard on the stomach. Putting a strain on that new stomach, can increase the risk of a leak.

By keeping their post-op progression really strict, the surgeon dramatically lowers their post-op complication rate (for compliant patients), and puts you on a solid path of developing new, healthy habits - habits you'll need down the road as your capacity for food inevitable increases, and your appetite (nearly inevitably) returns.

All that said, yes, it makes the early days extremely unpleasant and exhausting. Add to that the fact that you're naturally more emotional post-op between the anesthesia still working its way out of your system, your body reacting hormonally to the trauma you just put it through, and the hormones being released as you burn fat, and it makes for some pretty crazy days.

You can do it though, and it's really in your best interest to do it, if you can manage it. It's only a few days.

Welcome to the "losers' bench!"

[reallyrosy 161]

Thanks for the lengthy reply. I don't regret it 24/7. In fact, I can't mark how many times I said, d*mn sorry I did it cuz they admittedly are few. But when it hits, it hits. I don't currently take an anti depressant because I don't think I'm clinically depressed. I do work with a shrink and that's not really an identified issue at this time. Up and down, yeah...always have been but the fact that talking it out with u and others is working for me a lot like therapy. S I say, I did make I to the gym and I'm goin to walk after "lunch" soon.

Where do u find support groups not connected to your sugeon's office? My surgery was in a hosp 45 min away. Id go to something more local if I could find it. I'm so glad the folks here are in compliance and push for it. Especially when I get crabby, I need those hugs and encouragin words. I hope I can be equally supportive of all.

Thanks for your rep.

Good luck!

Ps: why were u upset with eating out with ur bf? Can't u eat anything or what???

[Felicia 28]

No I can't eat anything. I can have pureeds. I ordered a Soup that was crappy and ate 2 bites and was full whilst he is eating loaded yummy nachos and slurping down delicious looking soda! I just wanted to dig in. I also ordered some chicken quesadillas, (as I mentioned earlier I am a cheater) and well the chunks of chicken were too big to eat but I did manage a few bites. It was our first time out to eat. It was super hard and very depressing.

Not to mention I look around the restaurant and I wonder why I was so worried about my weight in the first place, almost everyone there was overweight and larger than myself. I started doubting myself and this whole decision. I always think I could have done this on my own and then I could have had a damn cheat day if i wanted!

Then I look at my super awesome 2 year old daughter who is my motivation for all of this and things always seem a bit brighter. I can't imagine her being made fun of her whole life for being overweight like I was. I tend to think if I am overweight she will think it is okay to eat and be overweight like me. I DO NOT want that for her.

Exercise does indeed help, I will admit the first few times or even weeks totally sucked for me! I try and briskly walk anywhere from 3-5 miles a day on my treadmill.

Like I said I have cheated and it wasn't worth it. I am supposed to be on pureed's. I have had mac and cheese, I have had chex mix, I have had chips, I have had cheese, I have had quesidillas, I have had popcorn, I have had peanut M&Ms, I have been a BAD sleeve patient. BTW that was all the things I ate just YESTERDAY!

I tend to think I know everything and my surgeon is just babying me. Well now here I am wondering if I stretched my sleeve, wondering if I will have a leak, and I'm telling you I felt like complete crap after eating those things. My stomach was bloated, I got sweaty, I had to lay down, and I didn't get my Protein or liquids in for the day. It was so not worth it for me to advance.

I would call your surgeons office about the support group meetings, if you havent already. Otherwise on here they have a ton of local groups and although I'm not entered in any I'm pretty sure they get together from time to time.

It sounds like you are losing weight too, I ended up cheating because of the fact I hit a stall for so long and I got mad and ate food. Congrats on your weight loss and all of those NSV's. Time will pass and hopefully things will be better. I tend to think since I can't change what I have done I better just try and make the most of it. Keep up that exercise and the weight will melt off.

[reallyrosy 161]

I hd no idea what a challenge it may be for us to eat out. My friends are leery of eating in front of me and I did offer to make popcorn while playing cards with some vistors but they demurred. I was curious to see what it would feel like to see them eating and drinking while I'm sipping. I wanted to test myself also with the smell. They simply wouldn't alow. Am I nuts? Nah just finding out what this new body can/can't do. I suspect your 'cheating' is of a similar vein.

I see that you got back on track and I hope you are able to stick with it. I know when you do something for someone else's sake it can suck big time but as you tell me, it will be useful i n the long run to be able to escort your daughter down the aisle when its time and to be there for her thru her life and yours.

I also am a people peeper: ooh look, someone bigger than me is what I always scanned for. Usually I would not find anyone who couldn't fit in a booth or needed other accomodations. I check people in the street, too and shopping. Most are 'normal' from what I can tell.

But I am learning here (til the next blue funk) that comparison is not what this is all about. Its about me. Hello??? Am I home? What do I feel? How do I feel? What will I do today. What is there to think about? Scary. I never wanted to know and never bothered to inquire. Now, I am introducing myself to my new tummy and engaging in a veritable "organ recital"in my head. Perhaps now I will allow myself to bring it all together. That will be a huge victory.

Hang in. Reel in those sticky fingers and engage in something creative...a bow for your daughter or something? Get them occupied. Play with her coloring and building and you and babe will grow up together.

You must be awfully young to have a 2yr old on your hands. I'm so glad you caught yourself early on. You do know that sleeving will allow you to have nachos down the line, don't you? You won't be limited to mush and animal feed bags forever!

Good luck!

[PdxMan 4,292]

Nachos ... had some the other night with chicken and cheese. Could only eat two chips (loaded) and I was stuffed. That is the joy of the sleeve. It does for me what I could not do for myself. Stop stuffing my face. It's almost like I am eating like a slender person! Maybe if I keep this up, my body will be slender, too.

[reallyrosy 161]

That's awesome! Pdxman. How long ago were u sleeved? Tell us all the particulars because "inquiring minds want to know" and "ve haff vays of making u talk" grin

How did u.deal.with the time after you'd eaten your portion? Was it awkward? I'm guessing u were out with friends???

[Deigh 15]

Rosy, I am soooo with you on being sick of this. I had a four week liquid diet preop and now I'm on another two weeks of liquid? Seriously, I could scream. I want to chew on something, you know? I told my family I may start gnawing on them soon if I can't eat. Ha!

Honestly, I didn't need this surgery because I have AWESOME willpower to start off with.

But, I just keep focusing on why I want to eat. So far it hasn't been because I'm hungry. It's been because I'm used to eating while I do a certain activity or because I think I should be eating because others are. Those aren't good enough reasons to eat, IMO.

I'm counting down the days to mushy foods (day 14 for me). Heck, at this point I'm counting down the days to pudding (MONDAY!). If I cheat and injure my sleeve, I will have to do this thin liquid thing all over again. I can't do that. I just can't. If it's really bad, I go walking and try to focus on how I do not want to go back to the beginning and just prolong this.

The therapist at my doc's office said she expects her patients to be 90% good 90% of the time once we're healed. I can do that. This part isn't forever, it just feels that way.

Feel free to pm me if you want to commiserate. I totally agree that this period sucks. But each day has sucked less than the prior one. Today, I managed to walk further than I walked yesterday. I managed to get more fluids today. I'm looking at the little things that I'm able to do and trying to ignore the great big desire to take a huge bite of something with texture. Anything with texture. I'd eat gravel if I could.

Hang in there. We're going to make it! :-)

[PdxMan 4,292]

Rosy, check out my signature section for all of my details.

I have to remember to really chew well, especially something hard like tortillas. I could feel them in my tummy for sure. It didn't feel bad, like when I tried eating a roll a couple weeks ago, but it didn't feel like the old days, either. I was over at a friend's house and they were wondering why I wasn't having more, but I said I had a late lunch and was having dinner later with my wife.

Deigh, I was right there with you. I just wanted so bad to eat something with texture, but at the same time was terrified to do so. Any time I pushed the limits of my sleeve early on, it seemed I paid the price. It is frustrating and seems like you will never be able to eat again, but it does come around. I promise. It does.

[reallyrosy 161]

Deigh,

Wow. I was truly fortunate not to have to be on a liquid diet prior to surgery but because of that, I decided that I would severly restrict myself....it was easy when I didn't have to.

But after all this talk and support, right now I'm content. I am determined to make it thru to the first check up and I am determined to get thru these diets, as well.

Its been so interesting discussing this with everyone. I don't want to take it to a private chat mode because I think our experience will help others out there, too.

I've had 3 btls of Water, my 6 oz of ensure and a couple of ice pops. I'm quite satisfied. Look forward to tomorrow when I pick up my doggie after nearly 2 weeks and that will be another challenge for me...she bites!

Hugs to all

Oh pdxman, for some reason the signatures don't show up on my android phone. I'll check it out later when I turn on the computer.

[100%Sleeved 148]

Hi all...

I heard from the nurse: they are going to fax me the new diet for tues next week. I still don't know what it is but I hope low sod veg juice is on it as that is something I crave.

I went to work out at the gym this a.m. and a brief side trip to the drug store. Visiting nurse was very encouraging and all my vitals are good.

So I venture into the weekend a bit less timidly.

Will probably update my blog, too. Only thing is, I have to do that on the big puter...can't from the phone.

Thanks to all for the staunch and tangible support. It worked. I'm down another lb, too.

Good luck to all of us

Rosy

I'm sure happy to see you are feeling better. Visiting Nurse? Wow I didn't get that special treatment. That alone is encouraging. Hang in there it will get better. Have a great weekend.